Nov. 12:One person died when he fell from a boat in choppy waters off Sagar Island as the cyclone brushed past the state today causing minor damage to coastal Bengal and other parts of the immediate hinterland.

Reports reaching the South 24-Parganas district headquarters suggested there was not much damage barring uprooted trees and dampened Jagaddhatri puja decorations at Hooghly’s Chandernagore.

The Cabinet met this morning to review the situation and decided to keep in place the disaster management teams and relief materials. By evening, the storm had crept into Bangladesh.

Shankarlal Doshi, a pilgrim from Maharashtra, was killed as he jumped to rescue his wife who had fallen into the river from a boat on its way to Kachuberia. The family was heading for Kapil Muni’s temple on the Sagar Island. Another person died in Calcutta.

Most trawlers that left Digha have either returned to their moorings or would do so with the tide later tonight, said the East Midnapore district administration. A trawler had overturned but its crew members were rescued by another vessel.

Schools remained shut in Haldia following fears of breaches in an embankment and inundation.

The storm caused heavy damage to paddy in Kakdwip raising fears of a low harvest. Standing crops in Diamond Harbour and Canning were destroyed.

At Chandernagore, on ashtami of the Jagaddhatri puja, several illuminated gates came crashing down even as strong winds snapped power cables. Police had to cordon off parts of Grand Trunk Road when a gate came down on it.